Kampong Saom Off The Beaten Path

Sihanoukville (Kampong Saom) itself is off the beaten path enough, but to get way off, it's worthwhile to catch a trip to Ream National Park, just east of town.

Here's what I wrote in my journal at the time:

"I'm sitting in a boat slowly working its way past the sandbars in an estuary on the Gulf of Thailand. It's low tide, so the sandbars are particularly evident. Four Germans and I took this trek, which included a boat ride through the park, a hike across the cape, and an hour or two on a spectacularly deserted beach -- marvelous.

"As parks go, this one is relatively new, only being nine years old, but it's got a terrific assortment of flora, including miles of mangroves, and fauna, most of which were well-hidden. I'm afraid that four Germans and I crashing through the underbrush would frighten even the deafest of creatures.

"The beach was splendid, but the best part was wading across the sandbars, trying to avoid the hordes of jellyfish. I've never seen so many at once. Definitely an adventure -- the woman in the group didn't like it much, but the guys thought the whole thing was 'Super!'"